Compost pile

While I cannot answer any of your questions, I would love to start a compost pile, but have no idea how to start one, let alone what to do with it.

 

double post!

 

i can't offer much, but we do have a compost pile that we basically just dump the scraps from fruits and veggies into. either one of the maintenance folks or another resident does all the turning and other maintenance that's needed.

it's a very large black bin that sits on the ground, so it must be turned manually. i can't imagine that's too pleasant, since in the summertime there are all kinds of fruit flies and other small insects that come flying out as i open the top of the bin.

we do have another bin, a small barrel-shaped thing on a stand that can be turned while on the stand, but a squirrel or other small animal has chewed a hole in the side in an attempt to nest in it. so that one is not used.

these guys say that rabbit waste is ok to compost. and here's the EPA's basic do/do not compost list. i needed to look that up anyway i know there are supposed to be proper ratios of different compost materials to put in there, but i don't know much about it other than that. you may want to check out compost ratios for the best possible compost material. good luck!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SSimon @ Aug 24 2007, 09:53 AM) [snapback]501547[/snapback]</div>

You live near Chicago... I can't imagine that there is not any worms living there. Have you checked with the local Extension office?

Anyway, no... a compost pile can use anaerobic (non-oxygen) action to work... it creates heat.
What you need is some dry material (old grass clippings, newspapers shredded, chipped branches), some green material (fresh grass clippings, produce trimmings from the kitchen), and a bit of moisture (so it's the consistency of a squeezed out sponge). Turn the pile frequently... a complete bottom to top, or by using some sort of tool to mix it up.

It should actually get hot enough that no worms or other critters will want to live in it. If it isn't that hot, it isn't working, and needs a bit of a boost. Fresh manure works well as a booster. Use sparingly.

 

'Compost', technically, could refer to any random pile of rotting plant material, but I get the idea you want to move past that part. The trick is to layer 'green' and 'brown', the 'green' being fresh kitchen scraps and plant cuttings, and the 'brown' being dry stuff like grass clippings that have been left in the sun for few days. The same stuff could be either brown or green, depending on how moist it is. No layer should be more than a couple of inches thick, and should not be packed down. If you have many bugs, then the pile is too wet, and more dry stuff needs to be added. Putting it all in a big container makes it look neater, but the function is the same. A tarp over a mound, a pile under a tree, a hole in the ground, or the ubiquitous black box can all work well. It should have holes big enough for aeration, but small enough that mice won't get in. Some sort of cover is necessary to keep the rain out, and to hold the heat in the winter. Partially burying the box will attract red wriggler worms, and help regulate the temperature. I find a thick wad of newspapers wrapped in plastic garbage bags, placed on top of the pile, speeds the process.

As for rabbit raisins, I think the best use for those is straight on the roses, no composting necessary. I can understand adding it to house plants might raise a few objections, but it's one of the best natural fertilisers I've used. It's mostly grass and clover, anyway, it's just been given a head start in the process by going through the rabbit first.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SSimon @ Aug 24 2007, 11:53 AM) [snapback]501547[/snapback]</div>

First-time poster here - Been lurking the past few days, but saw your thread and decided maybe you could use what I've learned so far!
I own a Garden Gourmet Compost Bin as of this past Spring, and the instructions that came with it were a big help. I hope to answer your questions in order here:

We have squirrels/possum/coons around here and the only time I have had any trouble with them is when I haven't covered up my 'greens' well enough with the 'browns' when adding to the bin. It is made of 100% recycled materials, so it is pretty sturdy.

Mosquitos haven't been a problem, nor would they as long as there is no standing water around your property.

With this bin, there is an access door that you can open toward the bottom to get completed mulch while relatively keeping the pile intact. There is another 'drop-in' door at the top where you add to the pile, and there is no mixing involved unless you feel the need to.

As long as your compost bin is receiving a 'vegan' diet, meaning nothing that came from an animal such as dairy products, meats, feces, you do not need to use worms. There is usually a separate process called vermiculture that involves worms, and has to be separate from your vegan composting. I can check my manual to see if vegan feces are acceptable, but as pp stated, the litter and rabbit droppings I think can be used 'as is'.

so far, I've been pretty happy with this product since it has been meeting my needs. It's me, my husband, and 17mo daughter using it. Sometimes, my Mom will have a couple of bags of melon rind to hand to me. At first I was worried about the size not being big enough, but once you've got the process of laying down your scraps/dried shrubs/soil in order and quantity, the pile never seems to get bigger. As long as the bin has direct sunlight most of the day, your pile will shrink pretty quickly as you add more materials to it. problem with flies? Just add a little more grass and dirt. As long as your pile does not seem too wet, too smelly, or abundant with flies you're using the right combination of all three.

I'm just seeing how the winter will go, since several factors will change. First off, compost process slows in colder weather, and I won't have as much 'browns' to add, so I may have to separate somehow the scraps I accumulate during the winter. Not sure yet how to tackle that one. It takes a good year for you to get a nice supply of usable mulch for your yard, so be patient. I'm looking forward to harvesting my first batch next spring.

Good Luck and happy composting!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SSimon @ Aug 24 2007, 02:24 PM) [snapback]501671[/snapback]</div>

Here is a link, there is also an option to purchase extender frames to make it larger, but original is said to hold 11 cubic feet. Sorry, not sure how to translate that into gallons for you :blink:
http://www.composters.com/compost-bins/gar...ourmet_93_1.php

I'm not sure which of the varmints were trying to get in, but I found some chew marks on the one side of my bin. It looks like they were at it for awhile, and then eventually gave up. If I have time tonight, I'll snap a pic and post it for you to show you just how resilient this thing can be. I don't think they liked the taste of the recycled material! :lol: Once I realized it had happened, I laid some more shrub and soil on top, and they haven't been back since.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SSimon @ Aug 24 2007, 11:53 AM) [snapback]501547[/snapback]</div>

I've been composting our kitchen wastes for years. It's a good idea to have an electric garden shredder too as you can shred woody cuttings etc to mix with other wastes and provided the weather is warm enough it will rot down pretty quick. You certainly don't need to add any organisms. Bacteria and worms, etc will soon find it. Nor do you need an accelerator but a little ordinary garden soil sprinkled over it will speed things up because soil naturally contains organisms which breakdown organic material.

Nor is it absolutely necessary to buy one of these plastic boxes: you can make a container from timber quite easily. You should allow places for air to get into the sides of the container. But a plastic, purpose made box makes things a bit easier to start. Some years ago I bought a compost bin which was in effect a barrel which could be turned upside-down on a support. The idea was that if you turned this frequently the contents would tumble about and get well aerated to speed the decay to the maximum as it encouraged aerobic organisms. The trouble was that as the quantity in the bin increased the thing got more and more difficult to turn. I got so fed up with it that I gave it away.

Remember you'll only repeating what nature has done with fallen leaves, dead weeds, animal droppings etc, for thousands of years so take all the "expert" advice with a large pinch of salt.

Go back to rural places 100 years ago and you'll find things called "earth closets" in back yards. That's where the human droppings of the time were held until the resulting compost was out on the vegetable patch.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(4futrgens @ Aug 24 2007, 01:32 PM) [snapback]501678[/snapback]</div>

There are 7.481gal/cft.

I've got the same composter. Seems to work well. Of course, in CO there are a lot less bugs and critters. I manually churn my with my hand tiller.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tripp @ Aug 24 2007, 03:17 PM) [snapback]501702[/snapback]</div>

Thanks! Now I know approx how much is in my bin at all times!
I haven't churned mine at all, and it seems to be decomposing just fine.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(4futrgens @ Aug 24 2007, 02:24 PM) [snapback]501705[/snapback]</div>

I don't churn mine at any regular interval, though I was just out dumping more stuff in it and churning it. It's pretty soggy right now, we had a pretty strong storm come through in the middle of the night and I think quite a bit of water got inside. CO is a little tough because if you forget about the pile it can dry out during our dry spells. Lately, that hasn't been an issue. The last month has been pretty wet.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SSimon @ Aug 24 2007, 12:53 PM) [snapback]501547[/snapback]</div>

You are welcome. I've been composting for several years and I am NOT an expert. I recomment searching the web for tips and techniques.

I personally own a rubbermaid bin positioned close to the house in which we dump all the kitchen scraps and yard waste.

However, the scale of possibilities is quite extensive ranging from using old pallets, a length of fencing all the way to the tumblers . For the suburban environment aesthetics, smell and vermin are all factors to consider. In Chicago you will also need to consider outside temperature.

In the winter most of the outdoor bacterial activity will stop. Therefore you will have a large pile of organic matter at the end of winter.

I'm interested to hear how folks in Northern areas deal with this. In Mother Earth news in July or so a new column was started by a fellow up in the Mid Atlantic area. He utilizes a green house with a wormbin under the center aisle. Maybe that is an option.

Like all things I recommend reasearch, starting small and testing your concepts before investing time and energy and perhaps money into a large project.

 

Compost happens. It shouldn't be this complicated, and there's no need to spend any money at all. Pick an out of the way location, dig a hole, and toss the stuff in. If you are careful to add some dirt or dried material each time, you shouldn't have any problems with pests. The process will slow down in the winter, but you can keep right on going with the layering all year long. You can plant something in the hole when it's full, and dig another one.